thinkMoult archive

The following is a comprehensive, chronological list of all articles published online.

Embed Peertube videos on your website2019-01-19
Peertube videos can be embedded directly on your website using an iframe with no Javascript required. This short example demonstrates how. Peertube is a distributed peer-to-peer network of video sharing websites.

How to view BIM IFC files on Linux2019-01-12
BIM IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) files can be viewed and parsed on Linux in a few ways. I describe how to open IFC files with FreeCAD, IfcPlusPlus, and IfcOpenShell.

How to install Blender and The GIMP on Android2019-01-10
How to install and run Blender and the GIMP on Android phones using Gentoo Linux. This runs Blender and The GIMP as a native app with full desktop functionality. This also demonstrates two desktop environments: Fluxbox and E17 and shows running Midori as a browser.

Create 360 VR panoramas with Radiance2019-01-05
How to use the Radiance rendering engine to render out different types of 360 panoramas for virtual reality. Create cube maps, equirectangular panoramas, sphere maps, fisheye views, and other environment maps.

Use macbethcal to calibrate textures2018-12-30
Use macbethcal to calibrate image textures that are used in a Radiance render with a colour chart. This helps to make sure that they represent the true colours of the real-life object.

Free Buddhist vector logos2018-12-29
I've created three free Buddhist related vector logos for any use. They are created using Inkscape, a free and open source vector graphics program.

Radiance specularity and roughness value examples2018-12-27
Radiance specularity and roughness values are hard to measure without special equipment. This article describes measurement techniques and rules of thumb, along with benchmark images to understand specularity and roughness. These images help give an intuitive understanding of material properties.

Map of the Great North Walk: Sydney to Newcastle2018-12-25
The Great North Walk is a 250km trail that goes from Sydney to Newcastle. I've created a free online map you can use to guide yourself from start to finish, and download a GeoJSON or GPX file to use in your GPS devices.

Free 3D lamp model2018-12-13
Download a free 3D model of a lamp in OBJ format and Blender format for use in renderings and architectural visualisation.

Why Revit is shit2018-12-11
Revit is a proprietary software package developed by Autodesk, an industry monopoly that consistently underdelivers when architects, engineers, and builders attempt to execute a BIM project. With OpenBIM still yet to mature, here is a list of criticisms of the software's limitations.

Robotic stereotomy with stone diamond wire-cutting2018-11-21
Stereotomy in stone cutting can result in material wastage, and when assembled, tend to not be able to cantilever well. This new technique cuts a wave-joint in a block with a diamond wire that allows stone to interlock and cantilever with minimal material wastage.

Panblog, a new, minimal, plaintext blog system2018-10-28
Panblog is a minimalist blog system. You write articles in Markdown with metadata in YAML, and Pandoc converts your articles to HTML. The entire system of Panblog is a 73 line Makefile and 14 line lua filter, excluding HTML and Atom feed templates.

Medical animations and surgical visualisation with MedFilm2018-10-07
MedFilm offers educational films for patients to learn about surgical procedures. Learn about anatomy, how to prepare for your procedure, what you will experience and the process during surgery, and advice for post-operation recovery. Available in multiple languages and on a subscription basis for clinics.

Worldwide GPS tracks with OpenStreetMaps for urban design analysis2018-07-03
OpenStreetMaps GPS data can be used to generate heat maps of GPS activity in cities around the world for free. This allows architects, urban planners, and city enthusiasts to analyse how the city works and make more informed decisions for the built environment.

Edmondson Park - a retail and residential development by Frasers and HDR2018-06-24
30km away from the Sydney city centre in the suburb of Edmondson Park, HDR has designed Ed Square: a diverse urban neighbourhood of restaurants; shopping, entertainment; playgrounds and parklands; adjacent to the Edmondson Park train station and all within walking distance from your own front door.

OpenStreetMaps - an open-source Maps application2018-06-19
Learn about OpenStreetMaps, the open-source and Wikipedia-inspired mapping application instead of proprietary maps like Google Maps. Learn about the depth of map detail, specialised cycling, snow, and water maps, and humanitarian mapping initiatives to help relief workers during natural disasters.

Deleting Facebook, and a reflection on digital privacy2018-04-02
Deleting Facebook in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica files is not because Facebook is tracking our data. In fact, our data is being tracked by almost all organisations across the internet to varying extents. People should have an awareness that there are both public and private outlets for expression online.

How to download the Australian BioNet Database2018-03-27
Use Python to extract a region of species data from the Australian NSW BioNet flora and fauna database. This script uses the public API. The data is given in both JSON and CSV formats and can be used in GIS software like QGIS.

Improving human rights through secure messaging2018-03-19
The instant messaging app you use has an impact on human rights worldwide. Discover the links between digital privacy, human rights, and why it matters whether you use Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, even though they're owned by the same company. Use Signal, an open-source, free, and end-to-end encrypted messaging app.

A history of rendering engines and modern trends2018-03-13
Discover the history behind how 3D rendering came to be, from flat shading, specular highlights, the phong shader, to ray-tracing engines and real-time rendering trends. Discover how scientifically validated rendering helps architects get closer to rapid prototyping and visualisation of designs.

Clean meshes automatically in Blender with Python2018-03-06
Use Blender and Python scripts to automatically clean up and process meshes for easier modelling. Weld vertices, replace triangles with quad faces, and recalculate surface normals. Script can run headlessly on a server.

Australian electrical infrastructure maps2018-02-26
See maps of Australia's electrical infrastructure, covering all major power stations, electrical transmission lines, and substations. See generation capacities of all renewable and non-renewable power plants and a brief description of energy generation within the NSW and Sydney region.

Show who modified an element last in Revit2018-02-19
Find out who created or last modified an element in Revit. Use macros to instantly query any element or even find the editing history of view templates or sheets. No plugins or paid applications required.

How to obfuscate and protect BIM IFC files2018-01-28
Learn how to protect and obfuscate BIM IFC files from Revit and ArchiCAD by hiding proprietary company data. Hide material information, custom property sets, and IFC element attributes.

Gentoo Linux blogs on Planet Larry2018-01-23
Similar to Planet Gentoo, Planet Larry is a feed aggregator of blog posts by Gentoo Linux user blogs. If you run Gentoo Linux, and write a blog, you can add your blog to the feed. Content can be anything, not necessarily related to Gentoo Linux.

Basic rendering tutorial with Radiance2018-01-14
Learn how to render basic shapes using with Radiance. Radiance is a validated lighting simulation software that allows you to create physically correct images. This tutorial guides you on doing your first render directly with Radiance, instead of using other third-party interfaces.

Brand new Gentoo desktop computer2018-01-05
I bought a custom desktop computer pre-loaded with Linux in Australia, from LinuxNow.com.au, and am so far very happy with my purchase.

A Beaglebone, a Blender, a Board, and a Swarm2013-07-13
Blender's boid simulation and a Beagleboard is used to power a swarm of robots. Robots work together to collect resources from a remote location and deposit them in a central repository. Robots are laser cut and powered by PWM motors.

How to change the printer LCD display message2010-05-08
How to change a HP Printer's default LCD display message by using the HP Printer Job Language. This script uses Perl and does not require any special access rights to run.

Wikisurfing, the latest in extreme sports.2010-01-24
Wikisurfing is a great way to broaden your general knowledge and have fun with friends at the same time. Try to go from an agreed topic to an agreed destination link only by clicking inline links. Category links are not allowed.

Ratpoison: an efficient and minimalist WM2009-05-13
Ratpoison is an efficient, minimalist, tiling window manager based off the principles of GNU screen, still under active development. I demonstrate how to change some keybindings to use Vi-keys and the caps lock as a modifier to prevent RSI.

Speed up Firefox to use less CPU2009-02-24
Firefox has a bug where the tab loading animation can cause excessive CPU usage. You can edit the Firefox interface CSS to remove this element and reduce Firefox's CPU usage.